Top 5 Anti-Ageing Products for Dubai Mamas

I’ve never really been concerned about ageing before – but as I look bleary eyed into the mirror each morning, there’s one thing, or actually quite a few things, that are quite clearly staring back at me.

Wrinkles. Ah yes the dreaded ‘w’ word, the result of stress, interrupted nights and ageing – I am going to be celebrating my big 4 0 this year after all (ssshhhh don’t tell anyone).  I’ve always plastered my face with moisturizer but have been a bit slapdash about the products I reach for – basically whatever’s within arm’s reach will do, be it an expensive cream (courtesy of my Beauty Editor sister – thank you Frankie), or a pack of baby wipes courtesy of my 3 little ones.

So I decided it was time to woman up and take the whole skincare thing a little more seriously. And here are my top 5 anti-ageing, wrinkle-busting, skin plumping products (based on a lot of research, testing and panicking about suddenly getting old!).

UrbanVeda Reviving Daily Face Wash AED 75
Available at Holland & Barratt

A bit of reviving, isn’t that what all us mams need?! And if, like me, you’re a big fan of your products being free from nasties and you love the feeling of splashing water on your face then this one’s definitely for you. Use in the morning to perk up your skin (perfect if you’ve been kept up by the kids!) or at the end of a looooong day to wash off the day’s makeup. Wrinkles look worse if your skin is dry – and whereas some face washes will leave your skin feeling so tight you can barely crack a smile after using, this one is full of Omega-rich bio-oils that rehydrate and leave your skin feeling really soft. Packed with flower waters and naturally anti-aging essential oils (evening Primrose, Omega-rich Rosehip, Borage, Rose Geranium, harmonising Jasmine and collagen-boosting Arjuna) it also smells completely divine. And the best part? It’s not crazy expensive!

Herbline Essentials Intensive Age Defense Cream AED 380
Available at all leading pharmacies

Yes I’m a sucker for spiel – but a cream that says it’s going to defend me against ageing, intensively, is just too good to resist don’t you think?! And luckily this one didn’t disappoint, I could almost feel the wrinkles being fought off with every application (and even if half of that was psychological that’s fine by me – if you feel good  you’ll look good!).  Rich and luxurious, a little goes a long way so it’s definitely worth the price tag, especially as I really think my skin looks younger – apparently the ingredients stimulate the skin cells to produce collagen and also restore skin elasticity (sounds good yes?). With essential oils, vitamin C and coconut powder there’s a whole lot of goodness stuffed into every jar – and it feels lovely and silky to use. I love – and so does my face (but the wrinkles don’t – hooray!).

Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream SPF 30 AED 192-254
Available at Kiehls, The Dubai Mall & Mercato Mall

Our Editorial Assistant Vanessa at Sassy Mama Singapore swears by this stuff and just looking at her glowy, perfect face has me itching to grab buckets of this. It’s the successor to Kiehl’s sadly discontinued Abyssine Cream (why Kiehl’s, why?) but it’s equally as good, with natural hydrating shea cream, calming copper PCA and calcium PCA which keeps the collagen in your face from breaking down – um, yes please. It does the whole shebang: anti wrinkling, skin smoothing and pore minimising and it’s even got SPF 30 which is perfect for the ruthless Dubai sun.

Rose Hip Oil By Shirley Conlon AED 150
Available online

You may remember that we featured the gorgeous Shirley as a ‘That Mama’ a while ago (read about her here). Beautiful, smart and oh-so-lovely she also happens to create the most amazing organic products right here in Dubai – actually in her very own home. All of Shirleys products are specifically designed not only to withstand the heat but also to assist with repairing sun damage – and having baked myself as a teen I definitely have plenty of that. The Rose Hip Oil is packed with a unique blend of delicious stuff including Rosehip (of course), Carrot & Sea Buckthorn, smells completely divine and has been nicknamed the ‘botox in a bottle’ by Shirleys loyal fans – whose gang I have most definitely joined. Smooth the oil over your face before bed and I kid you not, you’ll wake up glowing – seriously. Non-greasy and full of healing properties (a little went a very long way on helping my son’s eczema), I honestly think this product should be in every family bathroom in Dubai – tackling wrinkles, healing irritated skin and generally working miracles.

Fillerina  – at  home topical filler AED 499
Available from leading pharmacies

My worst lines run across my forehead – quite possibly from frowning so much at my kids when doing my very serious face – if you’re a mama then you’ll know what I mean. So when an invitation to a press event popped into my inbox with the question ‘have your fine lines begun to look more like trenches recently’? followed by claims that these trenches can be quickly and easily filled in at home, my attention was most definitely grabbed. Fillerina is part of a new non-invasive range of temporary cosmetic solutions, which basically means that it’s the DIY version of visiting an aesthetic surgeon – kind of like using a packet hair dye at home rather than going to a salon for a professional colour. In 2 steps over 14 days (a fillerina gel applied to any areas you’d like to ‘fill’ – eg those aforementioned trenches, cheeks, lips etc followed by a nourishing film), you will have plumped up your face enough to last for approximately 3 months. There’s all sorts of scientific jargon about how the product works and I’m not going to bore you with that – but I will say that it really does work and it’s a fab option for any mama who wants subtle results and who’s not so sure about booking that appointment with a professional. Oh and it’s been developed in a highly reputed Swiss laboratory – enough said.